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Monthly Archives: July 2012

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I remember having lovely penmanship. It had style and flair and it was mine, all mine! I was always complimented on my handwriting. When I mailed my cards or letters people would recognize my script and know the note was coming from me.

Fast forward … I can’t even read my handwriting today. Holding a pen or pencil is foreign to me. My fingers don’t wrap around the instruments as comfortably and so my writing slants upwards, downwards, the letters have no flow and I am aghast at how sloppy and illegible my writing has become. Kind of looks like the scrawl you have to retype when you are ordering something on-line.

Even the last bastion in writing… making out checks, is no longer necessary as most bills are paid on-line.

And what happened to courtesy? Emily Post (if you don’t know who that is, you are too young to read this blog) would be stunned to learn that sending a hand written “thank you” note for a gift or a hosted dinner party is no longer of importance. Well, some might send an email thank you. But how detached is that? Taking the time to hand write a personal note on stationary is so much more giving, warm and special.

I blame it all on instant messaging; the computer and hand-held cellphone. Now you can walk down a street, ride a bus or train, or be at a dinner table (I find that exceptionally rude) and text a message. It amazes me how quickly those thumbs work that tiny cellphone keyboard. OMG and then, when you get a text message you have to understand the new vocabulary because what is keyed-in is usually abbreviated.

I have to stop writing this blog now. I am going to start practicing my penmanship, get my handwriting skills back and write a few letters.

Like this:

Well, not always. Take for instance getting the best price for a car repair, or having professional services provided by electricians, plumbers, architectural contractors. Much has been written how women are not always dealt with the same courtesy as men especially when a best job or best price is at issue. Specialists in such services assume that women don’t know, or for that matter don’t care, about these issues which gives these professionals carte blanche to take advantage of our ignorance. Well ladies….it’s time you take the initiative and know what you’re getting into before you take that first step to signing an agreement.

Knowledge is power! Most

Most recently, I had to call a plumber. A consistent dripping sound from a faucet became annoying and it also left a residue in the tub. I am not an obsessive type but the incessant drip and porcelain discoloration did annoy me.

I live in a lovely pre-war building. As the plumbing is old, the building’s superintendent did not want to touch the problem suggesting instead I call an expert to assess the situation; which I did. A plumber arrived who informed me due to the age of the building the parts that needed replacement were no longer available. This job required a complete overhaul of the pipes which also meant a ceramic tiled wall had to be broken down to secure the path for the suggested new pipes.

After the sticker shock subsided, I decided to go on-line and see if I could get some answers from the “computer genie.” There were several possible options to the problem, but none of them required the plumber’s solution to break down a wall, put in brand new pipes and create a new wall panel for the fixtures.

After consulting other websites for answers, I called another plumbing professional. He sized up the problem, but before he had the opportunity to give me a cost estimate, I asked if a washer is all I needed to fix the drip. He was quite nonplussed with my question but agreed that a replaced washer could do the trick for a while. Difference in price? To tear down the wall, change the pipes, add a new wall panel and labor $1,800. To replace the washer plus labor $150. The dripping stopped and I was $1,650 ahead. What did I do with the amount I saved? I took a lovely trip abroad.